The Fate of the Forest
by goshinote
Summary: Twenty-five years after Inuyasha and Kagome meet, their eighteen-year-old daughter finds herself facing extreme effects of her parents' battles during the search for the Shikon no Tama. After she's swept away by a yokai of her parents' past with a deadly plan to take away their future, can Izayoi discover her true strength and make it home in time to save everyone?
1. Swept Away

Hi! So a while ago I posted a crappy version of this fic without properly editing it. It was originally entitled "Destiny of the Forest." The storyline felt rushed and it just wasn't good lol. I decided to delete it and do a complete revision to make it as good as possible! Now it's called The Fate of the Forest!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 1: Swept Away

"Izayoi?" my mom called from outside of the house. "Are you ready yet? We don't want to miss the birth!"

I finished putting on my kimono and ran out the door into the chilly afternoon. "Sorry, Mom," I apologized when I saw her.

Mom smiled and started walking. "Let's go," she said.

We made our way to one of the houses near the edge of the village. As we approached it, I saw a streak of silver hair that was the same as my own.

We said hello as we approached the house and my dad turned to smile at us. "Kagome," he greeted as he kissed my mom on the cheek.

Dad turned to me next. "Izy," he said as he patted the top of my head. I smiled at my Dad-only nickname.

"Has she had the baby yet?" Mom asked. Dad shook his head.

"Not yet, but Sango said she's getting there," he replied. "You guys might want to go ahead in. Sesshomaru will be here soon, and I don't think he'll want only one midwife with Rin. You know how he worries about her. He's probably especially concerned since it's their first child." Mom nodded and we left Dad outside as we walked into the house.

Sango was sitting next to my aunt Rin with a wet towel in her hands. Rin smiled weakly when she saw us, and Mom immediately got to work.

"How is she doing?" she asked Sango. Sango smiled. "She's good," she replied. "Her contractions are pretty far apart, so she still has time."

Mom smiled at Rin. "How are you feeling, Rin?" she asked.

Rin shrugged. "It's not the most pleasant feeling in the world, but I'll manage."

Rin glanced at the door from which Mom and I had entered. "Is Sesshomaru here yet?" she asked. Mom shook her head.

"Not yet," she replied. "Inuyasha said he should be here soon, though. I'm sure he'll make it in time." Rin began to smile, but a contraction wiped it from her face before it was really there.

As Rin's labor pains went on and her contractions intensified, I went and sat next to her head and held her hand. She began to get closer and closer to the birth, and just as she was starting to get worried about the arrival of her husband, Sesshomaru entered the house.

I'd grown up with my uncle coming to and from the village. He would usually come by a few times a month to visit Rin or bring her a gift, but it wasn't until Rin was in her twenties that she said things were changing between them. She said that it seemed like he was trying to keep her from feeling like she had to be with him even though it had always been her choice. It took forever for her to convince him that she'd loved him for almost all of her life.

They'd finally gotten married a few years ago and he's been considerably happier, well, happier for Sesshomaru, ever since. Mom once said that in the many years she's known her brother-in-law, the only times she's ever seen him smile have been with Rin.

When Sesshomaru came through the door, he immediately looked to Mom and Sango. "How is she?" he asked in his cool, mellow voice. He didn't seem worried in the slightest until Rin screamed. My uncle's eyes widened as he came to sit next to her.

"Rin?" he said quietly. Rin looked up and smiled at him. "It's almost time," she replied. Sesshomaru nodded and took her hand.

About twenty minutes later, Rin was holding a healthy little boy in her arms. Mom, Sango, and I all left to give the new parents some time alone. When we came out, Dad walked back over to us to see how everything had gone.

Once we told him, he laughed. "I never would have imagined that Sesshomaru would even _touch_ to a human, let alone marry and have a child with one," he said. "I can't believe how much has changed."

Mom smiled at him. "You're one to talk," she replied playfully. Dad smirked and wrapped an arm around her.

Sango's husband, Miroku, had joined Dad while we were helping Rin. He'd just returned from a solo exorcism trip he'd gone on. Despite his reputation as a greedy swindler, he was actually a really impressive monk. When he reached us, he bid us all hello.

"How's Rin?" Miroku asked as he rubbed his wife's bum in greeting. Sango casually swatted his hand away as she filled him in.

"Excellent!" Miroku exclaimed. He tugged on one of Dad's ears. "Now we'll have _two_ little hanyos running around here." Dad made a face at Miroku.

"You know, Inuyasha" Mom began, "that little boy is your nephew and Izayoi and Sota's cousin. Isn't that weird?"

Dad made an even more sour face. "Don't remind me." Mom laughed.

"Have you seen the kids yet?" Sango asked her husband. Miroku rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I have," he replied. "I don't know why I was surprised that they're exploiting Sota again."

Mom and Dad laughed. "Sota seems to enjoy it," Mom said. Dad looked proud.

"That's my boy," he chimed in. I looked away from the happiness on his face.

Sota is my sixteen-year old brother. We're both one-quarter yokai, but Sota was the one that received most of the abilities that come with the blood. He has our mom's dark hair and our dad's eyes along with his fangs. I was the one that got our dad's ears and long, silver hair along with our mom's eyes. Luckily neither of us got Dad's claws. Those things are weird.

On the other hand, I don't really possess many yokai qualities besides heightened senses. While I have a killer sense of smell and sight, Sota is faster and stronger. It's hard to not be jealous of him, especially when our dad fawns over his ever-increasing yokai powers.

I get it, though. My parents didn't think either of us would wind up with any yokai abilities at all, so the fact that Sota is so much like our dad must have been a pretty nice surprise to my hanyo father.

Mom noticed my face and tried to smile at me. She's the only one I've ever confided in about this, and she's also my personal hero. I've heard many people talk about how impressive her spiritual strength is. Lady Kaede used to be the high Miko in the village, but Mom took over for her when she passed away. That was when I was a baby, so I've grown up with Mom as the head honcho.

I've always dreamed of becoming a strong Miko like her, but I never could. A yokai could never possess spiritual powers.

"Is Keiko with them?" Mom asked.

Miroku nodded. "Yes, they're all down by Goshinboku."

Mom turned to me. "Why don't you go down there, Izayoi?" she suggested. "Sango and I can take care of dinner." I nodded and smiled at her. "See you all later," I said as I left.

Once I reached Goshinboku, I saw my best friend, Keiko, sitting at the base. Her brothers, Yohei and Akio, were chasing Sota around the forest.

"Izayoi!" Keiko called when she saw me.

"Hey," I called back. "Rin had the baby." Keiko clapped her hands together. "That's wonderful," she replied.

Despite her love of babies, Keiko would never be caught dead helping deliver one. She gets grossed out by even the slightest drop of blood. "It'll be nice to have a child around again," she said.

Miroku and Sango have two twin daughters, Kohana and Hikari, but they're six years older than Keiko and have both gotten married. Kohana recently moved to her husband's village with their three sons and Hikari travels the country with her own husband. Kohana and Hikari used to live in the village with us, but they both moved away about a year ago.

I know Keiko misses her sisters and the nephews she had grown to love as her own children.

I walked over and sat beside her on the ground. "Isn't this game ever going to get old for them?" I asked. Keiko rolled her eyes. "You'd think they would have grown up by the time they turned twelve," she replied. I laughed.

Miroku and Sango's oldest son, Akio, is twenty-one. He hasn't married yet, and Keiko and I don't think he ever will because of how immature he is. Who knows? Maybe he'll prove us wrong someday.

Aside from Akio, we're all relatively close to the same age. Yohei is about a month older than me, I'm eighteen, and Keiko is seventeen. Despite Sota being the youngest, he still gets along fine with us older kids, especially the boys. They all act like children together so it works out. Keiko swears that she's the most mature out of all of us and I believe it.

When Yohei saw me, he waved. I smiled back at him and Keiko nudged me. It's not too big of a secret that there was something between us, even if it wasn't exactly a heart-throbbing romance. Seeing him always takes me back to a night from just a few weeks ago…

 **Three Weeks Previous:**

"Iz?" I glanced up when I heard Yohei's nickname for me and smiled at his figure in the doorway of my house.

"Hey," I said. "What's up?"

Yohei looked a little nervous. "Can we talk?" he asked. I nodded.

"Come in," I replied. Yohei came all the way into the house and stood a few feet away from me.

"You can sit down," I said. _He's acting weird._ I thought to myself. _Should I go get Mom or Dad?_ We were alone, but I knew my parents were just a few houses down helping a villager.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Yohei nodded without meeting my eyes and remained standing. "I, uh…" he began. He finally looked up at me and his gaze was so intense I almost had to break eye contact. I felt as though I knew what he was going to say, and it just made me want to run away.

"You what?" I asked uncertainly. I didn't think I wanted an answer. Yohei walked over and sat down next to me. He reached over and gently took one of my hands into his.

"Izayoi," he said. "I came here today to ask if I could begin a courtship with you." My eyes widened.

"I've asked your parents for permission, and they've granted it to me," he continued. "All I ask is that you would have me." I was stunned into silence.

"Yohei," I began. "I…" I trailed off and just looked into his violet eyes. I think I always knew that he would eventually bring this up, but now that it's actually happening…

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "I'm not sure how to answer that right now."

Yohei nodded and looked much less devastated than I thought he would. "Take your time, Iz," he said. "I won't rush you."

He smiled and I tried to force myself to return the gesture. He looked so full of hope, so I just sort of let him roll with it.

 **Present Day:**

I've never been good with feelings, so when Yohei told me that he wanted to be with me, I freaked out a little. Yohei is a great guy, and I knew that if I let him in, I'd be really happy. It all just seemed like too much; it was too intimidating to let someone in and let them love you.

That's why when Keiko called Yohei over a few minutes after I sat down, I wanted to punch her.

Yohei hasn't pushed me about his confession or even brought it up since that day, but I can see it in his eyes. He's still waiting.

"You suck," I hissed at her.

Yohei smiled brightly at us when he reached the tree. He had gotten his uncle's freckles, which were rare. I'd only met Kohaku once, and the resemblance between them was nonexistent except for those freckles.

Yohei has the same colored hair as his mother. He also has his father's violet eyes and I had to admit that they were nice. I'd always found Yohei to be very handsome.

"Izayoi was just telling me that Rin had the baby," Keiko said. Yohei looked at me and I nodded.

"Yeah," I confirmed. "It's a boy." Yohei smiled.

"That's great," he replied. "I bet Sesshomaru and Rin are really happy." I nodded again. Yohei was quiet for a moment.

I cringed for a moment with the realization that he was looking at me and I had no idea what he was thinking. I was about to get up and excuse myself when Yohei suddenly looked up at the sky.

"It's getting kind of late," he said. "We should probably get going."

Keiko and I stood up and followed Yohei back toward the village. Sota and Akio ran to catch up with us and tried to jump on Yohei. They all ran off laughing.

Keiko and I walked the rest of the way home quietly. Her short, brown hair bobbed up and down as she walked and it made me smile. My parents and Miroku all say that Keiko looks just like Sango did when she was her age. She's also very outgoing, and we get along surprisingly well.

Keiko has always been a carefree girl and she, along with my mom, always puts up with my nervous and somewhat uptight personality.

I didn't realize she'd been saying my name until she lightly swatted my arm. "Earth to Izayoi," she said playfully. I glanced at her and tried to smile.

"What?" I asked wearily. I knew what she was going to say.

"When are you going to admit that you're in love with Yohei?" she asked. I rolled my eyes and kept walking.

Keiko is obsessed with getting Yohei and I together. She and my brother are somewhat of an item, so she thinks it would be perfect if the four of us all combined our two bloodlines. Those are her exact words. Gross.

"Izayoi, come on," she said. "You know you like him." I kept quiet until her incessant chant of _You know you like him_ became too annoying to put up with.

"Keiko," I said in a surprisingly patient voice. "We've talked about this a million times. I don't think I want that right now." Keiko rolled her eyes right back at me.

"Baka," she replied. I gasped in mock offense.

"Wow," I said. "Hurtful." Keiko laughed.

"Come on, Izayoi," she insisted. "Everyone knows you two are perfect together. His loving understanding balances out your insanely cold heart." She was right, but I wasn't about to admit that.

"Wow," I repeated. "Hurtful." Keiko laughed again.

"I don't understand you," she said. I grimaced.

"That's the problem," I muttered quietly.

When we reached my parents' house, we walked in to find everyone already seated. Only Rin and Sesshomaru were absent. I wasn't surprised; Rin must be exhausted.

After we had eaten, Sango, Miroku, and their kids left. Mom and Dad were cleaning up the dinner dishes and Sota had already fallen asleep. I told them I was going for a walk and I left.

For some reason, I felt a strong pull to go to Goshinboku. My mom has told me countless times about how she unsealed my dad from this tree and how she fell in love with him at this very spot in her original time. I come here sometimes for good luck.

Tonight, though, I felt as though something were calling me. The feeling got stronger as I came closer to the tree, and when I got there, I found Yohei already standing in front of the trunk with his eyes on the leaves above.

"Yohei?" I called. He turned around and smiled when he saw me.

"Hey," he said.

"What are you doing here?" I asked when I reached him. He shook his head.

"It's going to sound stupid, but I felt like the tree was calling me." My eyes widened.

"No, it's not stupid," I replied. "I had the same feeling." Yohei looked surprised.

"What do you think it is?" he asked.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "But I have a bad feeling about it."

He looked like he was about to say something when dark clouds suddenly gathered above us. I took a nervous breath and instantly regretted it. The clouds irritated my delicate sense of smell, and I immediately started coughing.

"Are you okay?" Yohei asked. I shook my head and pointed back toward the village.

Yohei understood what I meant and started helping me back toward home. "This doesn't seem like a storm," he said as we started walking back.

Right before we reached the edge of the village, the dark clouds suddenly came down and surrounded us. It became too much and a wave of dizziness came over me. I felt myself begin to fall until Yohei quickly picked me up. He started running with me in his arms as I fought away unconsciousness. We couldn't get away fast enough, and we were suddenly engulfed in fog-like clouds.

"Izayoi! Yohei!" I heard Dad's voice yelling our names as the clouds began to pull us away from the village. He must have sensed whatever weird aura this was.

"Dad!" I screamed back. It was too late. Yohei pulled me closer to him and I closed my eyes as the clouds swallowed us up.

Then everything was dark.

To be continued…

Oh, my…did I just leave you guys on a cliff-hanger? Oops. ;)

One last thing: I'm including the meanings of the names I chose for the OCs in this fic. They'll tell you a lot about each character.

Keiko-happy child

Yohei-flat sea

Akio-bright man, hero

Kohana-little flower

Hikari-light

Izayoi-moon's 16th night, waning moon

Sota-quick and thick

Of course Izayoi and Sota's names come from the Inuyasha manga/anime, so I didn't really choose them based on meaning lol xD and also Kohana and Hikari aren't in this fic too much, but I figured I'd still put their meanings in here.

Okay, so keep all this stuff in mind! I hope you've enjoyed so far.

Stay tuned!

Much love. :)


	2. The Forest

Have I really left this on chapter 1 since August? Holy crap. Well here's chapter 2!

Now where were we? Oh, yeah. Izayoi and Yohei were kidnapped by a cloud of weird-smelling fog. Fun stuff, right?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 2: The Forest

I finally came to when I heard someone quietly saying my name. I opened my eyes and saw Yohei looking down at me with a worried expression on his face.

"Iz?" he said quietly. I groaned and sat up.

"My head is killing me," I said as I rubbed my temples.

"It's probably from the clouds," Yohei replied. "They had some sort of yokai poison in them. I recognized the smell. My mom told me about it once."

I knew that if he had heard it from Sango then it was probably true. "Why, though?" I asked.

Yohei shook his head. "I don't know," he replied.

"Where are we?" I asked. Yohei hesitated.

"I don't know," he repeated. "The clouds carried us somewhere and then they just disappeared."

I stood up too fast and instantly regretted it. I would have fallen if Yohei hadn't quickly risen and caught me. "Be careful," he scolded lightly.

I tried to shake myself out of my haze. "Thanks," I said when the dizziness went away and I had righted myself. I looked around and saw that we were in an unfamiliar part of the forest; actually, I wasn't even sure if it was the same forest that Goshinboku was in.

"What do we do?" I asked. Yohei thought for a moment.

"Can't you sniff something out?" he asked. "Maybe another person or a village nearby this forest?" I frowned at him.

"Don't say it like that," I scolded. "I'm not a dog." Yohei laughed.

"Okay," he replied sarcastically. "Remind me that next time Mom makes her vegetable soup. You can always smell that from five kilometers away."

I knew I should be irritated at that comment, but I couldn't help laughing, too. Maybe those clouds had made me intoxicated.

After a moment, I did try to see if I could pick up any familiar scents, but my head still hurt and that poison seemed to have thrown off my sense of smell.

"I got nothing," I said.

By then, I was starting to get a little nervous, so I tried to think of what my mom would do. The Miko Kagome would remain calm. She would try to think of a way to figure things out with a level head.

I took a deep breath and tried to summon all my strength.

Suddenly, a chilling sensation went through my body. It was an innate feeling that something was coming near us…something dangerous. I quickly turned around and saw nothing, but I could feel that something was out there.

"What's wrong?" Yohei asked. I put my finger to my lips.

"Be quiet," I whispered back to him. He nodded and looked in the same direction.

"Do you have any weapons?" I asked quietly. Yohei glanced at me and shook his head.

"Do you?" he replied. I shook my head back at him.

No weapons, no strength, and no spiritual power. I'm nothing.

"Iz," Yohei suddenly whispered. "Come on." His violet eyes were determined, focused.

"What?" I whispered back. Yohei didn't answer. Instead, he ran over to one of the many trees around us and started climbing up it.

"Yohei!" I whispered-yelled.

Yohei climbed higher and higher until I couldn't see him anymore. I ran over to the base of the tree and looked up to see him motioning for me to follow. I hesitated, knowing that any sort of climbing wasn't something I excelled in doing.

Yohei climbed back down and reached out his hand. "Come on," he said. I glanced at his hand wearily, but grabbed on anyway. I tried to force myself to not look down.

I held onto his hand tightly as he pulled me up to the branch he was standing on. "We have to get all the way to the top," he said.

We started climbing up the trunk of the tree, and when we couldn't get any higher, we looked out around the forest we were now above.

When I peered out into the forest, it seemed like it went on forever. We were completely surrounded by trees. It was an eerie sight; it was like it was screaming _You will never escape._

After a moment, I saw a big shake in some of the trees a few kilometers away. Whatever it was, it was coming our way.

"Yohei, look," I said. Yohei looked just in time to see another big shaking of the trees.

"What is that?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Trouble," I replied. "What do we do?"

Yohei paused for a moment. "We have two options right now," he said. "We can wait here and see what that thing is or we can get the heck out of here."

I started climbing down the tree. "I like the second one." Yohei nodded and began to climb down after me.

Once we were both on the ground, we bolted in the opposite direction.

"Do you think it's a yokai?" I asked as we ran. Yohei nodded.

"Mom told me that if there's ever an aura like that then it's safe to assume that's what it is," he replied. I fought the urge to cry.

Yohei reached out and took my hand as we ran. "You need to move faster," he said as he picked up his pace.

I tried to run as fast as I could, but I'll admit it would have been hard to keep up with Yohei even if running was something I was actually good at.

After what felt like forever, Yohei slowed his pace to a walk. "I think we should be okay here for a while," he said.

"Are you sure it's safe to stop?" I asked breathlessly. "That yokai could be a lot faster. What if it's following us? I bet it's following us." Yohei reached out and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Izayoi," he said. "It's alright." I looked up at him and tried to calm myself down, but my fear soon turned to anger.

"No, it's _not_ alright," I countered. "We're trapped in a forest with some sort of creepy cloud-yokai chasing us! How can you say it's alright?" Yohei peered at me, and then he did the most unbelievable thing.

He started laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" I shrieked. "This isn't funny!" Yohei tried to subdue himself, but his laughter only grew.

"A _cloud_ -yokai?" he repeated. He busted up laughing again. I stared at him in complete shock, but then I thought about what I said.

I couldn't help it; I started laughing, too. Despite the circumstances, it felt good to laugh.

After a few moments, our laughter died down. Yohei's gaze met mine, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Well, I wish it were a soup-yokai," Yohei said as he sat down on the ground. "Then we could just eat it to death." I laughed again as I sat down next to him.

We went quiet after a moment, and I hugged my knees against my chest and breathed a sigh.

"What are we going to do?" I asked seriously. Yohei sighed.

"Let's just take it one step at a time," Yohei replied. "I don't hear anything anymore, so maybe we've lost whatever that thing is for now. How about we start a fire? I'll look around for some sticks." I nodded as Yohei got up.

I didn't even think about building a fire; I was too freaked out to even form a coherent thought. Yohei had always amazed me with his natural instincts for survival. They've always seemed to trump any fear he might have.

Once Yohei had found enough sticks, I took them from him and started up the fire. It had grown a lot chillier outside, so I was grateful for the warmth of the flames.

"Now what?" I asked as Yohei resumed his spot next to me.

"I wish I knew," he admitted. "I guess we just keep walking. Maybe we'll run into someone that can help us." I grimaced. _That sounds like wishful thinking,_ I thought to myself. There was no telling if we would see any other people, let alone if they would be willing to help us.

"You should sleep," he suggested. "It's late." I hesitated.

"I'm okay for now," I replied. "I'll stay up with you." Yohei frowned.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I'll keep watch." I shook my head.

"I'm fine," I replied. Yohei looked at me _like that_ for a moment, but he quickly nodded before we fell into silence.

After about ten minutes, Yohei sighed and stood up. "We should keep moving," he said as he began to stomp out the fire. "There's no telling when whatever that thing was could show up." I nodded and stood up to join him.

I still felt a little out of it from that smoke, so Yohei waited until I was steady on my feet before he started walking.

He gently set his hand on my lower back as we walked, and I couldn't tell if it was to try and keep me up or himself.

His touch lasted for only a second, but I could still feel it when he drew his hand away. A warm feeling was settling in me despite the cold air around us, and I felt a small sense of dread in my heart.

 _I'm in for it now._

 **Back in the Village:**

"What are we going to do?" Inuyasha asked seriously. After Izayoi and Yohei had disappeared, he'd booked it home and alerted Kagome, Miroku, and Sango.

"I don't know!" Kagome replied. "We don't even know what that thing was, let alone where it went!" Inuyasha saw the panic in his wife's eyes, and he knew that she was just as terrified as he was, if not more.

Inuyasha gently set a hand on Kagome's shoulder, and he saw tears fill her eyes. Inuyasha pulled her into his arms and tried to comfort her.

"We know it was a yokai," Miroku said. "But I didn't recognize the aura." Sango nodded.

"I didn't either," she replied. "But there was something…familiar about it. Do you think that maybe…Naraku came back?" Inuyasha paused.

"I don't think so," he said. "But I'm not entirely sure. It seemed familiar to me, too. Either way, we need to be prepared for whatever the heck this thing is."

Before Inuyasha could say anymore, he saw Sesshomaru walking over to join them.

"Was I correct in hearing you say Naraku?" he asked coolly. Inuyasha shook his head.

"We don't know," he replied. "None of us recognized the aura." Sesshomaru looked toward the forest.

"I did not recognize it either," Sesshomaru said. "It took your daughter, correct?" Inuyasha nodded somberly.

"And it took Miroku and Sango's son, too," he replied. Sesshomaru frowned and looked at Miroku and Sango. Sango, like Kagome, had finally succumbed to tears. Miroku's arm was around her and his troubled gaze was full of worry.

"I see," Sesshomaru said. "What do you plan to do?" Inuyasha frowned.

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "The scent and the aura have both disappeared."

"Let's go after them," Kagome said as she wiped her tears away. "Did you see which way they went?" Inuyasha sighed.

"No," he admitted. "A cloud of smoke appeared and then it was gone." Kagome took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

"Then we should just…wait?" she asked. "Or we could try and contact Totosai. I'm sure he would know something." Inuyasha hesitated.

"I hate to just stand by," he replied. "I mean, what if something happened to them? We have no clue where they are, but it feels wrong to just do nothing." Kagome reached down and took his hand.

"Let's start by talking to Totosai," she said. "Then at least we'll be doing something." Inuyasha nodded at his wife, but he was still displeased.

"Someone should stay behind in the village," Inuyasha said. "That thing could come back. Or maybe…maybe Izayoi and Yohei will find their way back here." Miroku and Sango nodded in agreement.

"Kagome and I will wait here with the kids," Sango said. "Miroku, you and Inuyasha should go." Kagome frowned at Sango's suggestion, but she knew it was the best plan.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome and saw her slight nod in affirmation.

"I guess we'll do that then," he conceded. "Miroku, you good with that?" Miroku nodded.

"Let's hurry," Miroku replied. With a curt nod at each other, the houshi and the hanyo were ready to leave.

They each kissed their respective wives quickly before heading out.

"We'll be back soon," Inuyasha promised Kagome quietly. He couldn't help but hold her close for a moment, his resolve nearly breaking at the sadness he felt radiating off of her.

 _Trust me, Kagome,_ he thought to himself.

"I love you," Kagome murmured back. She sniffled as she and Inuyasha finally pulled away from each other. "I love you, too," Inuyasha replied. With one last touch of her cheek, he moved away toward Miroku.

"We'll come back when we can," Miroku said. "Stay safe here." Kagome and Sango nodded and their husbands set off.

 _Don't worry, Izy, Yohei,_ Inuyasha thought to himself. _We'll find you._

To be continued…

Please feel free to leave any reviews letting me know what you think of this story so far! I'll try to not take so long in updating the next chapter lol.

Much love. :)


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